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February-August of 1939

17th of February, 1939:
The generals have come up with brilliant tactics which to use to make the enemy's numbers count for nothing. We now stand a better chance against any foe who attacks our homeland.

11th of March, 1939:
After some debate and bribing, our goverment has finally agreed that it would be for the best if we would cut some budgets to allow our industry to make ammunition and weapons in a faster rate. The civilian population is not pleased about the decision.

28th of March, 1939:
The nazis have made another outrageous demand, despite the fact they assured the brits that their previous territorial demand would be the last one. This time they demanded that Bohemia and Moravia, under zhechoslovakian control, would be given to Germany. Furthermore, the rest of the country would be given to a pro-german Slovakian goverment. This would be the end of Zhechoslovakia. The zhechoslovakians had two choices: To fight a lost defencive war or to fold to the german demands. They chose the latter. The allies finally decided to react to the german aggressions by asking Poland to join the allies. Unsuprisingly they accepted, knowing that they are in Germany's crosshair.

29th of March, 1939:
It is now clear that Italy will not help the allies unlike in the last war, as they have taken a german stance, by demanding Albania to be merged into Italy. Despite the wishes of some belligerent albanian patriots, the albanian goverment decided to accept the demands, seeing no way to win a war against Italy with the armed forces they posessed. Meanwhile in the north, Hitler has demanded some Lithuanian controlled shoreline from the lithuanian goverment. Due to the pressure of Wehrmacht units in the border Lithuania, their goverment decided it would be better to accept rather than fight a lost war.

2nd of July, 1939:
A polish mathematician named Marian Rejewski has managed to decrypt the enigma machine. This is horrible news to the germans, as this would mean that the allies could know their every move in advance.

3rd of July, 1939:
Aggressions have once again taken place in the borders of Manchukuo. The incident began when a mongolian cavalry unit of some 70–90 men had entered the disputed area in search of grazing for their horses. During the same day, Manchurian cavalry attacked the mongolian forces and pushed them back across the Khalkin river. The mongolians later returned in greater numbers and defeated the manchurians. A day after, some units from the japanese 23rd Division entered the territory and the mongolians withrew. The mongolians later returned, this time with the support of soviet forces and surrounded and destroyed the japanese forces. The situation is likely to hit the fan in the near future.

6th of July, 1939:
Germany has decided that the Empire of Japan is worthy enough to join the axis. The axis now have military influence to the whole world exept north and south america.

2nd of August, 1939:
In the region surrounding the Khalkhin river, both soviets and japanese have been massing their forces. Among other reinforcements, the soviets have received the leadership of Zhukov, who brought some motorized and armoured units with him. The japanese forces were 30,000 in strenght. Later, the 2nd Air Brigade of the japanese Kwantung Army, struck a soviet air base in Mongolia. Even though the attack was a success, it was done without Tokyo's permission. Tokyo therefore denied further use of air forces from the Kwantung Army, which proved to be a decisions which the japanese payed a dear price for. After some minor engagements and two large battles involving hundreds of soviet tanks, the japanese were beaten. They formed one last attack towards the soviet positions, but despite some success, they failed. By then they had suffered 5,000 losses, but still had 75,000 troops remaining. Slowly, the battle drifted into a stalemate.

13th of August:
It has reached our attention that the germans have made an outrageous and suprising pact with Soviet Union. Among some terms, they have agreed that Soviet Union can have Finland for themselves without any resistance from Germany. As if that is for them to decide. It is now clear that our suspicions were not paranoya. Soviet Union wishes war. We will show them that the approval of Germany isn't enough to annex our nation. They will have to negotiate with our rifles first, if they dare to attack some day.

26th of August, 1939:
Our agents have returned from Germany with some evidence that supports the fact that the germans have sold us to the Soviet Union for a non-aggression pact. We find it absurd, considering the fact that Germany doesn't own Finland. The goverment was convinced, and decided to take some measures which were requested. By sacrificing some comforts that the civilians had, we fully mobilized our industry. And by reintroducing conscription, every capable male who turns 18 has to serve in the military for one year. After reintroducing conscription, the Finnish goverment started to wonder when did conscription dissappear from Finland in the first place, because it has existed since the founding of the country. Some people say that it happened during the new year celebrations of 1936, but it is still a mystery how it happened.

After reintroducing conscription, the Finnish goverment started to wonder when did conscription dissappear from Finland in the first place, because it has existed since the founding of the country. Some people say that it happened during the new year celebrations of 1936, but it is still a mystery how it happened.

September-November of 1939

3rd of September, 1939:
After the japanese invasion of Khalkhin Ghol drifted to a stalemate, the japanese began regrouping for a new offensive. Unfortunately for them, they didn't get a chance to fulfill their plans. Zhukov had deployed three rifle divisions, two tank divisions, two tank brigades, two motorized divisions, two mongolian cavalry divisions and an air wing of 250 planes, all combat ready and eager. Zhukov had decided it was time to break the stalemate. The japanese on the other hand, had only two light infantry divisions and the 23rd Division. After massing some forces on the other side of the Khalkhin river, Zhukov unleashed three infantry regiments and one tank regiment on the japanese, with support from artillery and the best soviet planes. As the soviet fire power pinned down the japanese forces, the soviet tanks charged the japanese flanks and rear, causing serious damage to the japanese forces. The 23rd Division became encircled.

16th of September, 1939:
The japanese forces attempted to relieve the 23rd division. Infantry officers drew their swords and led charges against the soviet tanks, but the japanese lost and the 23rd Division was annahilliated. The leader of the japanese forces refused to accept defeat and started preparing a counterattack, but he couldn't because the japanese signed another peace treaty with the soviets.

23rd of September, 1939:
This morning, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine of the german armed forces have begun terror bombing polish cities and caused severe damage so far. With atleast half of the ground forces committed in the polish border, the germans began a lightning fast invasion towards the capital of Poland, Warsaw. The germans have the polish outnumbered and outgunned. The war is expected to last only two months at most. Meanwhile in the west, the british and the french have declared war on Germany and some minor skirmishes began on the franco-german border. This may very well be the beginning of a second world war. The Finnish goverment has decided to stay out of this senseless quarrel.

26th of September, 1939:
Three days after the invasion of Poland, Italy has decided to become an official member of the axis, despite risking to become involved in open conflict with the allied armies, which are a force to be reckoned with. Looks like the italians are just as belligerent as the germans. This means that the french will have to deploy more forces in the alps, making their north western border more vulnerable.

5th of October, 1939:
Meanwhile in the south, countries from the Commonwealth have decided to join the war in the british side and do their best to stop the axis from devouring the world under their rule. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are weak in military strenght, but united they are strong and will likely present an uncomfortable barrier for the axis forces. Further north, after the fall of danzig, soviet forces, violating the Riga peace treaty, crossed the russo-polish border with an army the size of 800,000 men and engaged with polish forces. This terrible event made the polish plans for defensive completely obsolete and crushed all remaining hope for a polish victory.

10th of October, 1939:
Belgium has joined the allies and has engaged german forces in open combat. French reinforcements are on the way, but unless if they achieve a major breakthrough into Germany, they will be pushed back all they into Paris after the germans have defeated the Poles and redeployed to the west. Even though the german troops, that are engaging the stubborn and professionally trained belgian soldiers, are small in numbers, we see no hope for Belgium.

26th of October, 1939:
Hitler has decided to the seize the strategically important country of Denmark for himself, as a way to 'protect it from the allied pigs'. Even though most of the german forces are deployed in the east and south-west, the extremely small army of Denmark stands little chance against the german troops in the border of Denmark. The danish infantry has begun to tactically withraw from the germans, hoping to stop their advance in the shores of the islands west of Köpenhagen.

2nd of November, 1939:
After 39 days of desperate resistance, the Poles have failed to defend their homeland and Warsaw fell to german hands. In Warsaw, the poles put up fierce and even succesful resistance and used cunning tactics against the rapidly advancing german forces. Among some of the tactics used, some polish troops filled a road with gasoline and set it on fire when a german armoured collumn advanced on it, destroying the collumn complitely. After Warsaw fell, the polish army bitterly surrendered, knowing that they never stood a chance anyway after the beginning of the russian offensive. The germans rejoiced, knowing that they can finally show their might to the arrogant westerners.

I won't be able to keep writing this AAR in some time mostly due to loss of interest towards playing HOI 3 and gain of interest towards other things and lack of motivation, but I'm not officially finished with this AAR yet, don't worry. I will finish this some day. A great timing, eh? Just as the action's about to start...

Note to anyone who might still actually bump into this thread somehow (like I just did while googling), wondering why didn't I keep my promise to keep doing this AAR; I had every intention of Finnishing this (yes, shitty pun intended), but very frustrating technical problems came in the way. My hard drive decided that he's had enough and stopped working. And obviously my hearts of iron 3 save files went away with it. Dragging my motivation to start this AAR over again with them aswell. Obviously way too late for this information and I definately should have told this sooner instead of keeping my few followers in suspense. But thought I might inform the single person who might find this thread later anyway.

Sadly, this AAR, the only Finnish one in the library, is based on a mod. Not only does the mod add a considerable amount of Manpower over "vanilla", but the AAR writer boosted the Leadership as well. Worse, it ends just where the "crux" of the matter begins, so while "amusing", it does virtually nothing to help a prospective Finnish player with the basic game. At least it was written in an interesting manner, and I commend the author for trying.

I'm currently trying to stave off the "Red tide" in a vanilla SF game, despite the lack of sufficient manpower to mobilize the starting army (have just over 50 MP, but need 99 to mobilize), and the inability to raise that manpower in the four short years available (+0.4 MP per month, quickly boosted to +0.5 with Agriculture, gives roughly 80 by August '39). The starting neutrality of 100, and a "Pig-headed Isolationist" leader who can't be changed, mean that you can't lower Neutrality quickly enough to change to better draft or production laws before 1940, unless attacked (by which time it's too late).

I'm trying to narrow the gap slightly by disbanding the two starting CAs for the crew's manpower, which will also save a lot of useless upgrade costs (the AA upgrades on them will eat almost 100% of the discretionary Production capabilities of the country for around half a year). With 18 IC, only 9 of that effective (boosted to 11 by changing ministers), there's just enough Production output to meet consumer demand, supply the army, and upgrade the infantry equipment during the first half of 1936; nothing at all left over to build new units, and no manpower anyway in order to build them and then expect to mobilize them. By the time the infantry upgrades complete, there will be a new tech researched and more upgrades.

With starting relations at 0 with GER and UK, and with 100% neutrality, joining a faction isn't going to be easy, if at all possible. I'm trying to align to GER, have a half dozen trades made so far, and changed another minister (this one counteracts the Head of State's +0.01 to Neutrality with a -0.01 "Silent Lawyer" effect), with 10 domestic spies (raised ASAP at the expense of almost everything else for the first few months) spending 3/4 of their time lowering neutrality and the other 1/4 boosting the ruling party's Organization for a year, then it will probably be 100% lowering neutrality.

I have no idea how this is going to turn out, but I'm certainly going to try to keep Viipuri from falling to the Soviets, or at least make the event memorable.

You can check out my Finnish AAR for inspiration, it´s in my signature. I´ve failed in the end because I didn´t want to use my 200 (!) manpower, I was afraid of bleeding out later. Sadly, there was no later!